Tightening strap of a diving flipper

ABSTRACT

An improved diving flipper&#39;s adjustable foot strap with a conveniently located handle which allows the diver to quickly pull the stretchable strap whereby he or she move the strap away from the back of his or her foot in one fluid motion. 
     The handle also allows, in one fluid motion, the diver to pull the strap back on to his foot thereby securing his foot into the foot pocket. 
     Methods will show the type of strap material that is used to achieve the objective. Methods will show how the material aids in strap removal and strap fastening. Methods will show why straps need to have adjustments. Methods will show how flippers are adjusted via the raised notches. Methods will show how and why fins are fastened and the level of difficulty to remove a fastened-on flipper without a handle. Methods will show how a handle aids in removing the strap. Methods will show how a handle aids in putting on the strap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the tightening strap of a divingflipper.

b) Description of the Prior Art

Referring to FIG. 1, an ordinary diving flipper includes a flipper body100 and a tightening strap 200, wherein two sides of the flipper body100 may be provided respectively with a female snap receptacle 101 andtwo sides of the tightening strap 200 are transattached respectivelywith male snaps 201. The male snaps 201 are inserted into the femalesnap receptacles 101, so that the tightening strap 200 fastens thediver's foot into the foot pocket. Once the male snaps 201 and femalesnap receptacle 101 are engaged, the two protruding ends of thetightening strap 200 can be pulled to the level of tightness required tokeep the flipper from falling off the diver's foot.

Once the foot is fastened on by the tightening strap 200, which is madeof a stretchable material (to aid in securing the flipper to the foot),there are two ways to release the tightening strap 200. One way is topress the male snap 201 thereby disengaging the female snap receptacle101 and the other way is to grab the tightening strap 200 while tightlyfastened on and pull fast and hard in jerking motion until the snapdisengages. Both instances require the disengaging of the snaps just toremove the flipper off the foot. Snaps must then be re-engaged in orderto tighten on the flipper. An improved tightening strap would eliminatethe need to locate the loosened snap and would also reduce the timerequired to resnap the snap.

With an easier-to-reach system, the diver would be considerably aidedwhen using the flipper underwater. In most instances, disengaging thestraps may prove difficult when the strap is securely fastened on to thefoot because the average diver needs an adequate level of tightness inorder to prevent the flipper from falling off and when the when theflipper is tightened on by the tightening strap 200, removing theflipper can be inconvenient, awkward and time-consuming without a pullring for instant grabbing. Flipper straps with adjustments indeed ensurean accurate fit however an improvement is required to allow rapidflipper removal with fluidity of motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This improved diver's tightening strap offers a more fluid way to removea flipper strap with a centrally-placed pull ring on the back of thestrap and includes raised notches on each end of the strap's plane foradjusting the strap's tightness to fasten the flipper on the diver'sfoot.

While wearing a fastened-on flipper, the diver simply pulls on thehandle to slide down the strap. In order to put the strap back on his orher foot, the diver would simply grab the handle and move the strap backagainst his or her foot. The handle provides enhanced conveniencebecause it is able to stretch the expandable strap away from the back ofthe diver's foot.

This tightening strap with the handle also allows the diver to adjustthe level of tightness via raised notches on the strap.

To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and thetechnological methods of the invention herein, the brief description ofthe drawings below is followed by the detailed description of thepreferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conventional diving flipper.

FIG. 2 shows a structural schematic view of the diving flipper of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 shows a reference picture of how to use the diving flipper of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the first embodiment of the pull-ringhandle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the second embodiment of the pull-ringhandle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention applies to a diving flipper10 which includes a flipper body 11 and a tightening strap 12, whereintwo sides of the foot pocket 111 of the flipper body 11 has a femalesnap receptacle 112, and the front end of the female snap receptacle 112has an insertion hole 1121 and the two sides respectively have a slot1122. The tightening strap 12 itself is made of an expandable materialand two ends are transattached respectively with a male snap 121, andthe front end has three fork yokes 1211, 1212, 1213 to be commonlyinserted into the insertion hole 1121 of the female snap receptacle 112;whereas, the fork yokes 1211, 1213 at the two sides snap respectivelyinto the slots 1122 of the female snap receptacles 112. Planes at twosides of the tightening strap 12 body have raised notches 122 to serveas tensions for adjusting the tightness of the tightening strap 12, andwhen pulling the ends 123 of the tightening strap 12, the notches 122 atdifferent positions can be adjusted for latching with the male snaps 121to tighten an attached object (i.e., the diver's foot). Here, thetightening strap 12 is assembled together with individual components.

A handle 30 is located near the middle of the tightening strap 12 bodyand the handle 30 is independent from the tightening strap 12 so thatwhen the tightening strap 12 and the handle 30 are assembled as oneunit, they are assembled on two different planes. Referring to FIG. 3,when the tightening strap 12 tightens the attached object A and theattached object A needs to be quickly released, the diver simply pullsthe handle 30 so that the tightening strap 12 can be loosened from theattached object A. Likewise, when the diver needs to quickly put on theflipper 10, he or she simply pulls the handle 30 so that the attachedobject A can be fastened on by the tightening strap 12 without operatingthe male snaps 121 and female snap receptacle 112, thereby achieving theobjective of quickly releasing or tightening the attached object A.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the first embodiment of the handle 30of the present invention, wherein the handle 30 of the tightening strap12 is manufactured separately and has a slotted sleeve 31 on one side ofthe handle 30 and has a slot 311 by which the slotted sleeve 31 can besheathed on the central tube 124 of the tightening strap 12, therebyillustrating how the handle 30 integrates with the tightening strap 12.

The handle 30 can be also assembled with more than one component to formany device that has a sleeve and a handle.

FIG. 5 shows the schematic view of the second embodiment of the handle30′ of the present invention, wherein the handle 30′ and the tighteningstrap 12 are integrated into a single piece so that when the tighteningstrap 12 is manufactured, the handle 30′ is attached to the tighteningstrap 12.

The aforementioned handle 30, 30′ is roughly T-shaped.

In conclusion, the present invention is the tightening strap of thediving flipper and is characterized by a handle that is centrallylocated on the tightening strap. The handle may be manufactured as aseparate unit from the tightening strap so that when the two areassembled as one unit they are assembled on two different planes. Theobjective is that when the tightening strap is fastened on to thediver's foot and the flipper needs to be quickly released, the diverpulls the handle so that the tightening strap can be quickly pulled awayfrom his or her foot. The handle can also be used to pull the strap backon to the foot, thereby securing the foot into the foot pocket. Thestrap can be removed, fastened or refastened—all in one fluidmotion—quickly and easily.

It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described hereinis merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that awide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the following claims.

1. A tightening strap of a diving flipper that is made of a stretchablematerial to fasten on an attached object, with planes at two sides ofthe tightening strap having raised notches to serve as tensions foradjusting the level tightness of the tightening strap; a location closeto middle of the tightening strap having a handle which is independentfrom the tightening strap that when the two are assembled as one unit,they are assembled on two different planes; when an object is tightlyfastened by the tightening strap and needing to be quickly released, thediver simply pulls the handle to stretch the tightening strap to quicklyrelease the fastened-on object.
 2. The tightening strap of a divingflipper according to claim 1, wherein the handle of the tightening strapis manufactured separately and has a slotted sleeve on one side whichallows the handle to be assembled on to the body of the tighteningstrap.
 3. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,wherein the handle and the tightening strap are manufactured as oneunit.
 4. The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1,wherein the handle is assembled together with individual components. 5.The tightening strap of a diving flipper according to claim 1, whereinthe handle roughly T-shaped.
 6. The tightening strap of a diving flipperaccording to claim 1, wherein the tightening strap is assembled togetherwith individual components.